Human remains found in two vehicles recovered at bridge collapse

(AP) - Human remains were found in two vehicles
taken from the wreckage of the interstate bridge collapse since
Wednesday evening, officials said Thursday.

The remains weren't immediately identified by officials, but
family members and friends of two of the four people still missing
said they had been notified that their loved ones had been found.

Vera PeckPhoto courtesy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press

If confirmed by officials, that would raise the confirmed death
toll to 11 in the Aug. 1 collapse.

The first remains were found in a vehicle recovered about 8:20
p.m. Wednesday, with the second set of remains found about 3:30
a.m. Thursday, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office said in a news
release.

The vehicles were taken from the Mississippi River bottom, the
release said.

One of the bodies was that of Vera Peck, 50, of Bloomington, her
former husband David Chit said.

"Obviously we are in the mourning mode right now," Chit said.

Separately, the Daughters of Penelope, a national Greek
community group, issued a statement saying the body of Christina
Sacorafas, 45, of White Bear Lake, had been recovered.

Christina SacorafasCourtesy of Sacorafas family

Sacorafas, a member of Daughters of Penelope, had been driving
to her church to teach a folk dancing class at the time the bridge
fell.

Besides Peck and Sacorafas, the list of missing includes Scott
Sathers, 29, of Maple Grove, and Greg Jolstad, 45, of Mora.

The sheriff's office is leading the recovery efforts.

Senior Chief Dave Nagle, a spokesman for the Navy divers on the
scene, said recovery operations were ongoing Thursday.